Sunday 27 March 2016

Massachusetts, 26th January 2001


I spent some weeks in Winter 2001 in Massachusetts, located near a town called Franklin, named after Benjamin Franklin, from where I was able to ride into Boston on MBTA (Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority) aka "The T". This means that I was able to ride on Saturdays, during my weekend days, as of course I was occupied with other things Monday to Friday. Also the weather played a big part in my ability to get out, as there were various falls of snow, which had the effect of making everyone scurrying to the safety of their homes, pausing only to empty the supermarket shelves on the way.

My first weekend was constrained by snow, but I do recall watching the inaugural for President George W Bush on Saturday 20th January. Overall my recollections are not helped by not making notes at the time, but I believe that this collection is from Saturday 26th January 2001, when at last I was able to get out a bit.


While Franklin has its own depot in town, I chose to use the Forge Park Park & Ride facility not far from I-495, as this was only a short drive, and there was easy parking. This is the terminus of the 30 miles Franklin Line route from South Station in Boston, opened as a line extension in 1988 (on the route of the Milford & Woonsocket Railroad, which last saw service in 1938). I did choose to ride upstairs, and I recall that I drank coffee on the route inwards, which must have come from a trolley with attendant.

Locomotive 1035 is a 3000hp M-K F40PHM-2C, built by Morrison Knudsen (MK Rail) at Boise, ID (0990-11 of July 1993), and again rebuilt by MPI (successor to MK Rail) in 2003-04, after this photo was taken. It currently remains in service. These locomotives have separate power for HEP (head end power, which is ETH).

Current MBTA schedule for Franklin

F40PH 1009 (EMD 776066-10 delivered September 1978) and rebuilt in 1989-90 by Bombardier. Sidelined in late May / early June 2014, then moved in storage in mid-2015.

This was the period soon before the Acela trains appeared. Here Amtrak 939 is seen on the stops at South Station upon arrival of a North East Corridor service. 939 is an EMD (licence built Rc4 from ASEA) AEM7, 806004-10 delivered in 1981. 939 was converted from AEM7-DC to AEM7-AC in April 2002, after this picture was taken. The AEM-7DC series are all now withdrawn, and the AEM7-AC series are in course of being withdrawn. 939 was still in traffic in November 2015, supporting heavy traffic at Thanksgiving, also here from a well known US railway author and photographer. However it seems to have been withdrawn thereafter, as I have seen a note that shows only 6 were in traffic by late January, and 939 was not one of these. By end of March 2016 there appears to be little activity, but rumours of 10 going to MARC.

Amtrak F40PH 301 (EMD 786140-2 of April 1979) at South Station. Stored at Renneslaer, NY in 2002, later West Lafayette, OH by 2005. Moved through Derby, ME in 2008, and sold to RailWorld, OHCR 301, then returned to traffic around February 2010 for AMT in Montreal commuter service, in use until 2012. Noted in March 2015 headed for lease at MBTA SLC 301, but in a dead line by July, although saw usage as a cab control car in January 2016. At some point it was available under auction.

Similar F40PH 241 (EMD F40PHR 777001-12 of September 1977). In 2002 it worked on the Alaska Railroad, and by 2005 was working for Ferromex in Mexcio, became IANR 678 of Titan Transit (Hawkeye Express Company LLC, Subsidiary of Iowa Northern Railway).

Saturday 26 March 2016

21st - 26th March 2016


60039 at Redbridge, 22nd March. Image by Ian Knight.

59203 on return empties 7V07 12:41 from Chichester to Merehead, Redbridge, 22nd March. Image by Ian Knight.

66128 + 66077 Benjamin Gimbert GC 0O41 Westbury - Eastleigh passes Romsey 25th March,


Monday 21st March:
Tuesday 22nd March: 60039 10:14 6O41 Westbury - Eastleigh, 7V41 14:45 Eastleigh - Westbury one two three four five; 66747 out-shopped after repainting one
Wednesday 23rd March:
Thursday 24th March:
Friday 25th March:
Saturday 26th March: 66059 1Z36 05:55 Eastleigh - Eggborough Power Station one two three four five six seven eight, (60059 assisted for the northern legs one two three four five) 1Z38 16:55 Ferrybridge Power Station - Eastleigh

Eastleigh Works: 02Feb - 03Feb - 05Feb - 09Feb - 10Feb - 11Feb


Sunday 20 March 2016

Aggregates at Southampton Up Yard and St Denys, 19th March 2016


6Z11 10:00 (Fri) Dowlow Briggs Sidings - Southampton Up Yard (once Bevois Park Sidings)
6Z14 14:48 Southampton Up Yard - Wembley European Freight Operations Centre


The operator of the facility at Southampton is Hope Construction Materials (company history on Wikipedia), and I believe that the facility is for supply of Readymix Concrete. The Dowlow Quarry is also operated by the company.

The Hope Construction Materials company is currently being acquired by Breedon Aggegates.

This Saturday the moving wagons are of different types from the VTG 34xx JNA group noted twice previously, although two of these were resident in the yard.


66167 in the yard sidings, having worked down from Wembley in the morning.

The first two wagons in the train were 33 70 6790 038-7 (above) & 073-4 of JRA Open Box type, built by Arbel Fauvet in France in 1988-90, originally for Tiphook for Channel Tunnel construction traffic.

JRA 33 70 6790 073-4.

The rear four wagons were these VTG owned JXAs, built by Procor in 1982-83 (3100, 3119 and 3125) and 1986 (3151, running on different bogies). 3119 is seen above.

66167 is seen leaving through St Denys station, running about 10 minutes early, as seems to be typical for this working.

Eight wagons in the middle of the train were these MBA Bogie Monster Stone / Scrap / Coal Open Box wagons, built by Thrall Europa at York in 1999. These include 'inner' (AAR couplers) and 'outer' examples for semi-fixed operation, and 500106 seen here is an 'inner' example. The formation does not appear to follow strict rules and was outer - inner - outer - inner - inner - inner - outer - outer! I could only read five numbers - 500025/ 34 / 52 / 106 / 197.

VTG 3100, originally leased by Procor to Sheerness Steel


Further coverage: one two

S&DJR Closure Anniversary Gala, West Somerset Railway, 13th March 2016


Images from the camera of Ian Knight.

LMS 4F 0-6-0 44422 shunts at Dunster. 5 of the MR ordered version of this design were delivered to the S&DJR in 1922 as Nos. 57 to 61, eventually 44557 to  44561.

BR 4MT 2-6-4T '80043' rounds the curve at Watchet. 80072 from Llangollen is running in disguise.

S&DJR 7F 2-8-0 53809 built in 1925 by Robert Stephenson at Darlington.

Sister locomotive 53808 approaches Washford.

Peckett 0-4-0ST (No. 1788 Bristol 1929) Kilmersdon, the last steam locomotive to work on the Somerset Coalfield.

Further coverage on the news page of the much recommended Taunton Trains.
Further gallery coverage.

The gala was considered to be successful with 6627 visiting passengers over 4 days.

A note on S&DJR motive power from 1930.

Saturday 19 March 2016

St Denys, 19th March 2016


66957 Stephenson Locomotive Society 1909-2009 + 66507 + 66539 + 66560 0Y20 10:20 Stoke Gifford - Eastleigh.

66560 has received recent repaint of the cab areas, with updated Powerhaul style logos.

70014 leading 4O27 05:21 Garston-Maritime, which overtook the Hams Hall at Eastleigh.

66415, one of three left in DRS basic colours, is running late with 4O14  07:37 HamsHall-Maritime.

70002 at the front of 4O54 05:27 Leeds-Maritime.

66177 leading articulated cars within 4O39 10:44 MorrisCowley-EasternDocks.

66538 with 4O29 08:15 BasfordHall-Maritime 

14th - 19th March 2016


Monday 14th March: 67006 5O61 09:53 Wembley - Eastleigh one two; 37601 +37688 1Q51 11:15 Derby - Basingstoke - Southampton - Weymouth - Eastleigh one; 56113 0Z58 10:24 Derby - Eastleigh one two three
Tuesday 15th March: 56113 0O13 10:00 Eastleigh - Woking - Alton one two three four, 56113 + 37099(37324) 0E13 12:20 Alton - Woking - Eastleigh - Derby one two three four five six seven; 37601 +37688 1Q52 10:37 Eastleigh - Portsmouth Harbour - Littlehampton - Portsmouth Harbour - Totton Yard - Havant - Guildford - Havant - Eastleigh - Lymington Pier - Eastleigh one two three four five six seven
Wednesday 16th March: 37601 +37688 1Q53 12:50 Eastleigh - Wimbledon Park - Eastleigh - Woking - Totton Yard - Eastleigh - Romsey - Eastleigh one two three four five six
Thursday 17th March: 37601 +37688 1Z54 11:38 Eastleigh - Derby one two
Friday 18th March: 66716 + W1671 + 66752 moved into Eastleigh Works one
Saturday 19th March:

70803 still reported at Tavistock Junction.



66745 - understood to be damaged


66745 Modern Railways The first 50 years was formerly DRS 66409 later 66844 with Advenza for a short period in 2009, then GBRf and Colas. The locomotive is understood to have been damaged at Whitemoor some weeks ago, and the remains of 66048 have been acquired from Booth, Rotherham, and moved to Longport to support the repair.

It seems that we won't see 66745 for some time.

Eastleigh Works, 25th May 2014.

Eastleigh station, 31st July 2015.

Sunday 13 March 2016

Eastleigh, 12th March 2016


66749 was released from Eastleigh works on 8th March following repaint from grey into GBRf colours.

66419 is still in a basic DRS scheme, but labelled for Freightliner, seen when it arrived from Stoke Gifford in convoy with 66585  The Drax Flyer and 66507.

66083 rolls through platform 2 with 4O39 10:39 Morris Cowley - Eastern Docks.

70002 powers out of the station with 4O54 from Leeds.

66095 was working from Southampton Up Yard to Wembley with empties for eventual return to Dowlow Briggs Sidings.

Novel thinking from Curry Rail Services

Not anywhere near Southampton! Take a mainline Co-Co locomotive, cut it in two, and mount a 400hp engine and cab to make into a shunter. The HTC bogies and frames are from a SD40-2 as shown in this video, these being similar to those under Class 59.


More info:
Brochure
Curry Rail Services
Hollidaysburg, PA

Saturday 12 March 2016

7th - 12th March 2016


Monday 7th March:
Tuesday 8th March: DB Cargo 08904 moved by road from Eastleigh - was the long standing yard shunter - at Hellaby on 10th; 59003 0Z59 11:25 Eastleigh - Woking - Eastleigh; 66749 repainted ex-works
Wednesday 9th March: 47739 + 66846 0Z47 13:40 Eastleigh - Washwood Heath one two three
Thursday 10th March: 
Friday 11th March:
Saturday 12th March:

70803 is still believed to be at Tavistock Junction.

(I have more material to update,  but Windows 10 has presented a hung taskbar issue, and will delay me). Good News: Fixed by DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth




Night Moves at Romsey, 10th March 2016


66599 with the STP scheduled 4O25 16:25 Bristol - Millbrook container working, which worked via Bath and Westbury. Loco is in HeavyHaul pool DFHG.
66127 light engine move 17:35 Merehead to Eastleigh.
66546 leads 6X04 Fairwater Yard - Wallers Ash rail and sleepers train.
66536 on the rear.
70807 with 6V31 20:13 Eastleigh - Westbury.

Saturday 5 March 2016

DRS January sale event


The catalogue is on the DRS website.

47790 and 47805 have been returned to Kingmoor, and appear to be going to Locomotive Services Ltd., possibly along with 47841 (at Eastleigh Arlington) for spares.

The remainder of the Class 47 fleet is now available for offers, as shown in the table. 20312 is understood to have a damaged engine; the actual ownership of 37503 and 37521 is now demonstrated; 37608 and 37611 are both understood to have high engine hours.

Updated 05Mar with understood outcomes of loco sales or other changes. 47810 and 47818 seem to have been sold to Arlington - will they be delivered to Eastleigh?

Item Vehicle Comments
1 20312 Locomotive situated at Longtown

Withdrawn for sale - spares for use on other DRS Class 20s


2 37503 Locomotive situated at Barrowhill

Europhoenix


3 37510 Locomotive situated at Barrowhill

Europhoenix


4 37521 Locomotive situated at Barrowhill

Preservation at Barrow Hill

5 37608 Still in traffic

Europhoenix

6 37611 Locomotive situated at Longtown

Europhoenix

7 37670 Locomotive situated at Barrowhill

Europhoenix
At Barrow Hill.
8 47810 Locomotive situated at Longtown

Arlington


9 47813 Locomotive situated at Longtown

Locomotive Services Ltd, already moved to KIngmoor for ETH heating for DRS.

10 47818 Locomotive situated at Longtown

Arlington

11 47828 Locomotive situated at Longtown

D05 Preservation, Dartmoor Railway

12 47853 Locomotive situated at Longtown

HNRC


13 1254 MKII Coach situated at Barrowhill
14 3374 MKII Coach situated at Barrowhill